The Green Army will be united as one in keeping everything crossed that Ryan Taylor will be fit and raring to go for Plymouth Argyle in their crunch League One clash at Northampton Town this weekend. and so will Derek Adams.

The former Rotherham, Bristol City, Oxford and Portsmouth striker was a surprise absentee when the Pilgrims met Pompey at Home Park last weekend and his absence was notable with Argyle struggling to fire on all cylinders in attack against their Dockyard rivals.

To call the Pilgrims a one man team would be unfair because that is far from the case. But it could be argued the influence of Taylor is more important than any other player in the Argyle squad right now.

Graham Carey provides craft, goals and assists and is undoubtedly the fans’ favourite. Sonny Bradley is the rock on which the defence is built, while David Fox provides the heartbeat to the team with his passing ability in midfield.

But Taylor provides a focal point to the attack. Give him the ball and he will treat it like his own child, which allows the likes of Carey and Ruben Lameiras to get forward in support and attack the opposition.

Argyle's incredible rise up the League One table has coincided with the return from injury of Taylor. And it is no coincidence.

Strikers are too easily judged on their goals return which is why, even now, there are some elements of the Green Army wanting Argyle to splash out on a 20-goal-a-season striker to ‘complete the jigsaw’.

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However, if they had that, would the likes of Carey and Lameiras be able to thrive in the way they can right now thanks to the selfless work of Taylor?

He is a modern day Mickey Evans. Evans was never the most aesthetically pleasing player to the eye, but he could certainly do a job for the team. A targetman, battering ram - call them what you will - but both Taylor and Evans are the epitome of a team player, sacrificing personal glory for the sake of the team.

Perhaps the importance of Taylor to Argyle is realised most when he is not in the side. Things just don’t seem to click and as my colleague Jak Ball eloquently puts, he is the battery of the team. Take a battery out of a toy, car, watch – pretty much anything – and it doesn’t work.

Joel Grant started the game for Argyle against Portsmouth because of an injury to striker Ryan Taylor (Image: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK)

Joel Grant was tasked with filling in for Taylor last week and they are sizeable boots to fill. If Taylor is out injured for this weekend's trip to Northampton, the likelihood is that Grant will start again. But he is a completely different player to Taylor.

Grant is quick, tricky and skilful, capable of bamboozling defenders. He doesn’t possess the strength or hold-up play that Taylor does, so asking him to ‘do the Taylor’ role is a big ask. Against Pompey, he did it admirably, but to get the best out of Grant, Argyle would have to change the way they play.

If Taylor is absent this weekend – or for any period of time – then that is the dilemma facing Adams: Does he stick with a style that has served Argyle well, despite the absence of its key component, or does he adapt the way Argyle play to accommodate a Grant, Alex Fletcher or anyone else he sees fit to play that lone striker role?

It could be argued that Nathan Blissett shouldn’t have been allowed to go out on loan and jojn Macclesfield, but the truth is that the former Torquay striker showed little sign of being capable at the top end of League One when he was given an opportunity.

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The signing of Simon Church has not worked out at all with the former Wales international struggling with injury when this would have been his time to shine, had he been fit for action.

The word on the street last Saturday was that Taylor’s injury was nothing serious and he was even touch and go for the Pompey game.

The likelihood is that Adams decided not to risk him with potentially bigger games ahead and a play-off campaign. But in order for Argyle to secure their top six place, you do feel that they will need Taylor back sooner rather than later to help them get the necessary points to secure that top six berth.